SATURDAY

FRIDAY

 The wind did a major turnabout from N to S W and then there were several general recalls and a black flag so the fleet was about an hour late starting. With only about 5 knots which then rose to 10 and shifted to the left  half way through the first race, the races were both shortened to 1 lap.  The course was left as it was so, for the second race, every one started on port and the mark was nearly laid in one.  It was still very shifty and there were large gains to be made if you got it right. Sarah tacked on one header and made up 30 places but it was not enough to beat Steph overall. Tim had gone home and Rob, unfortunately, had had to depart as well.
The committee decided to give all three girls a bottle of fizz as they were so impressed with them all for having gone out for every race. Vanda, of course, won the the Ladies prize and Gordon Barclay won the Grand Masters Trophy. There were 80 entrants.

RESULTS

OVERALL NAME RACE 11 RACE 12 POINTS SPECIAL PRIZES 13 PAUL 19 17 88 1ST JUNIOR 14 NICK (30) 11 101 1ST VETERAN 20 DAVID S 25 22 141   34 BARRY 54 30 240   38 STEPH 36 (67) 265 2ND LADY 40 SARAH 44 34 272 3RD LADY 44 ROB DNS DNS 298   52 DAVID M 46 61 360   62 TIM DNS DNS 432

505 WORLDS
THEY’VE DONE IT!!!
Mark and Ian came 3rd today - having got Sarah’s shift and used it to make up 40 places into 4th place -and they won overall by 2 points.
Sarah is helping them celebrate!!!!!
Jane has the baby.

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THURSDAY

The Race Committee, seemingly, discovered Chimet via Barry’s WAP phone and immediately postponed and later cancelled all racing.
Actually, most people seemed glad of a day’s rest from battling with 30 knot winds!

505 WORLDS.
After yesterday, Ian and Mark were actually in the lead by one point only. We think they have gone sailing today after a postponement

WEDNESDAY

The wind was very shifty today and gradually wound round from just S of W to N of W, but was only gusting up to 25 knots so a few more boats went out, though we can’t quite understand why the non-starters etc got 74 points instead of 82 as before?
In the first race everybody did very badly with Nick having his worst result yet, though Paul was being very consistent with another 9th and then 10th. Tim did not finish as he got trapped under the boom with the kicker too tight tacking on the last beat and spent ages in the water. On the next start he got boxed in completely and being very near the back retired exhausted, muttering about fixing righting lines in the near future. Rob was having a better day, having spent most of the race yesterday mending things as they fell apart and removing vast lumps of weed. He reckoned that after the first lap in the second race we had 5 boats in the first 25. However, this didn’t last especially as Sarah, who was leading the pack in second place to Paul, was suddenly overcome with exhaustion and fell into irons twice which put her right at the back and Barry leant on and splintered his tiller extension at the start of the second race. Not quite sure what happened to Steph in the first race but she was going great guns later and obviously benefiting from the 2 hours of lecturing given by Stephen Cockerill the night before
Sarah, by the way, did not get herself a finish for yesterday, the reason being, apparently that if she was reinstated then everyone else who had lost places would also clamour for redress. Well!!!

RESULTS

505 WORLDS
Yesterday was a lay day but they raced today and Ian and Mark came 2nd and 6th in the two races. This gives them 2nd, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th to count and they are lying either 1st or 2nd depending on who won any firsts!

TUESDAY

 Today brought even stronger winds gusting up to 30 knots but slightly round to the north of west - to start with anyhow! A lot of the fleet stayed ashore again and those that went out had to contend with shifty winds up the first beat until the wind went back into the west and settled. This made the beats very onesided and the last leg was  a long port fetch with just a short hitch on starboard to the finishing line - whereby hangs a tale.
Boats were trickling back home all the time and Tim, unfortunately, was one of them, unable to keep his rudder fixed down. Nick and David were doing OK, followed by Paul and then Barry, but Steph was not far behind and doing much better than Sarah, who has not quite the nerve to bear off down  the hairy runs as yet. People, even up the front, were wearing round gybes depending on the amount of puff at the time but there were still casualties.
Yesterday, both finishes were on the windward Mark 1, although the second race was not shortened. Today most of the fleet seemed to think the same would happen, so they stopped at Mark 1. However, some noticed that there was a finish buoy further up to windward and some (Barry) inadvertently drifted past it to finish!. As Steph was lolling about eating her chocky bar someone kindly told her she hadn’t finished but while manoeuvring to get back over the line she managed to fall in. Sarah, a bit further back, saw all the boats in front idling about but did not see the finishing mark at all and, unfortunately, did not round the CB but went off back round Mark 1 towards the start line. David M also stopped but suddenly realised, so finished, but lost about 6 places. One gathers there was some changing of places in the first 10 as well!
About now a huge black and very wet cloud was approaching so the RO put up ‘N’ and everyone raced for the shore.

Sarah, having discovered that she did not have a finish, is seeking redress.

Photo courtesy David Rowe

RESULTS RACE 5 AND OVERALL

OVERALL NAME 5TH RACE 13 NICK 19 16 DAVID S 17 26 PAUL 16 32 STEPH 32 33 ROB 33 36 BARRY 25 38 SARAH DNF 41 TIM DNF 48 DAVID M 40

MONDAY

RESULTS

505 WORLDS - ABANDONED TODAY
 

SUNDAY

The wind gradually rose to F4-5, and the seas accordingly, and veered from S of SW to W of SW which made coming ashore slightly easier, but not much. There was a certain amount of carnage out at sea and a steady stream of retirements including, in the second race, Sarah, who spent a lot of time trying to get her boat upright and stable and David Mosely who also had to come in after capsize problems. In fact, only half the fleet finished the second race. Paul Childs was not able to even start the 2nd race as he couldn’t keep his centreplate down, which was a shame as he was 9th in the first race. Coming ashore was horrendous with the tide nearly high and waves smashing on the steep shingle beach. Tim had to avoid another boat who was called in at the same time, capsized and ended up way down the beach unable to right his boat. It took about 8 shore bodies to catch each boat as it came in and lift it onto its trolley but there were a few dramas as the seas came in over the transoms, washed helms away and completely swamped some boats etc. etc. etc!
There were a few bent masts and remedies being sought re centreplates etc and Sarah finding her port tank with the odd gallon inside and seeking advice from the builders, but, I think, nothing too dire.

RESULTS

OVERALL NAME 1ST RACE 2ND RACE 11 Nick Rawlings 18 7 13 Tim Randall 11 15 20 David Sayce 33 14 27 Barry Blaydes 34 26 33 Rob Eastwood 51 35 35 Paul Childs 9 DNS 39 Steph Dickenson 64 39 53 Sarah Mitchell 43 DNF 82 David Mosely DSQ? DNF

505 WORLDS

Ian (Sarah’s husband) and Mark Upton-Brown have a 2nd and 4th from yesterday and a 3rd today and are still lying in 1st position overall!!!!